Tag: Jeremiah Alexander

5 second-year defensive players who could break out in 2023

Roll Tide Wire lists five second-year defensive players who could potentially break out in 2023 college football season!

We are just a little more than 100 days away from Nick Saban and the Alabama football team kicking the 2023 season off on Sept. 2 against Middle Tennessee State inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Even though the offseason can seem long and insufferable, is there really ever an offseason with all the outlets that produce non-stop content on the Crimson Tide? That’s why you can count on Roll Tide Wire to be there every step of the way.

Fans are always searching for the next guy on the team to step up and become a household name. Today we look at five second-year defensive players who could break out in the 2023 season.

Post-spring depth chart projections for Alabama’s outside linebackers

Projecting Alabama’s outside linebacker depth chart post-spring!

Now that spring football has officially wrapped up and the 2023 NFL draft is complete, it is time to shift our focus to the offseason.

Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide have a ton of questions marks exiting spring and fans are chomping at the bit for answers.

So as we dive into the dog days of summer, I thought we could take a look, position by position, and project the possible depth chart for the 2023 Alabama football team post-spring.

We have already taken a look at the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive line, and defensive line. Today we will keep it along the defensive front and look at the outside linebacker!

Position Breakdown: Alabama’s OLB’s ahead of spring practice

A deep dive into the Alabama outside linebacker room ahead of spring practice.

We are now just a few weeks out from [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Alabama football team taking the practice field to begin spring ball.

As is the case each offseason, there are many questions that need to be answered before the Tide hit the field to start the 2023 season.

As spring practice creeps closer, we are going to break down each position group on both sides of the ball. We have already looked at the quarterbacks, running backs, and defensive line. Today we will take a look at the outside linebackers as the Tide look to replace one of the legendary players in Alabama football history, Will Anderson.

Let’s dive right in!

Five second-year players Alabama fans should watch this spring

There are several second-year players who could generate some buzz this spring!

As February ends, spring football approaches. In just a couple of weeks, [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Alabama football team will return to the practice field and begin on-field work for the 2023 season.

Alabama will have to replace significant pieces from last year’s squad, most notably quarterback Bryce Young and outside linebacker Will Anderson.

Each spring, Tide fans get a glimpse of what the future holds for the Alabama football team, and I expect some second-year players to step up and generate some buzz heading into the 2023 season.

Today we are look at five second-year players I believe could make some noise this spring.

To clarify, this is a list of players who did not have much of an impact as true freshmen in 2022. So players such as Tyler Booker, Isaiah Bond and Kobe Prentice will not be a part of this group.

Let’s dive right in!

Trio of second-year players earns this week’s Student-Athletes of the Week

A trio of second-year players earns this week’s Student-Athletes of the Week!

A trio of second-year players has earned this week’s honor of Student-Athletes of the Week by the Alabama football program.

Linebacker Jeremiah Alexander, wide receiver Kendrick Law, and defensive back Earl Little Jr. take home the honor this week.

Alexander is a former five-star prospect from the state of Alabama who is expected to push for a backup as an outside linebacker for the Crimson Tide defense.

Law saw some action at receiver as a freshman in 2021 and really began to show out in the ladder part of the season and is expected to make an impact in 2023.

Little Jr. is a talented defensive back who could possibly play anywhere in the backend of the Alabama defense. He is a name Tide fans should be watching closely this spring.

Congratulations to all three of these young men for this achievement.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

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5 young players who could impact the Sugar Bowl for Alabama

The transfer portal and potential opt-outs could provide opportunities for several of Alabama’s younger players.

Alabama’s Allstate Sugar Bowl matchup with Kansas State is still a little over three weeks away but there are still several interesting notes to dissect when looking at the contest.

The mass exodus that Alabama has had via the transfer portal has opened up several opportunities for younger players to make an impact for the Crimson Tide when New Year’s Eve arrives.

But the portal is not the only thing we should be thinking about. It is more likely than not that Alabama will experience at least a few opt-outs from some of its upperclassmen who are expected to be high draft picks come April 2023.

Team leaders such as [autotag]Bryce Young[/autotag] and [autotag]Will Anderson[/autotag] are expected to skip out on New Orleans and begin preparing to become most likely top-five picks. There is also a chance that they are not the only two.

Now, when putting together this list, we are merely working off hypothetical scenarios since none of the starters have yet to make an announcement of their intentions for the Sugar Bowl. I am also going to do my best to include players that have not really made that much of an impact to this point.

Nevertheless, here are some young players that could be given an opportunity to make an impact against the Wildcats.

10 Alabama football players that should see more playing time in the weeks to come

Here are several of Alabama’s current players who should be seeing more playing time in the future.

Alabama has looked inconsistent at times this season. That goes for both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Certain position groups have shown strides of improvement while other spots have struggled down the stretch.

Everybody knows that talent isn’t a question. There has been an abundance of talent that has been recruited at each of the different position groups. That goes for both the offense and defense. As the season progresses, Alabama’s coaching staff will work to put players in the best position to be successful.

Through the first seven weeks, the team has had its share of highs and lows. Whatever the case may be, there is still plenty of time to fix the areas of concern and prevent these issues from re-occurring in the future.

There is always room for more playmakers and leaders. That is why Alabama’s depth could come into play throughout the course of the season. Today, Roll Tide Wire looks at 10 Crimson Tide players who should see more playing time in the near future.

5 defensive players Alabama fans need to watch during A-Day

5 defensive players Alabama fans need to watch during A-Day

Alabama’s annual A-Day game is set to kick off on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. CT inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

There is plenty of talent both young and old to be excited about if you are a ‘Bama fan, and it will also be our first opportunity of the spring to see this year’s version of the Tide.

In his Thursday press conference leading up to A-Day, head coach Nick Saban said the format for the scrimmage would be the first-team offense against the first-team defense and the second-team offense against the second-team defense. With this format, fans will get to experience a more game-like scenario with good on good.

Leading up to the start of A-Day, I wanted to sit down and give fans a handful of players from each side of the ball that I believe could make an impact during the scrimmage. I want fans to keep in mind that these are players that fans have not seen make a tremendous impact yet for the Crimson Tide, but could on Saturday and during the 2022 season.

Yesterday we looked at the offensive players, today we will look at the defensive side of the ball.

Alabama’s linebacker room poised to be one of the best in the nation in 2022

The Crimson Tide should have a dominant force at LB for the 2022 season.

It’s safe to say that Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr probably should have been invited to the Heisman Trophy festivities in New York this past December, but he will have every opportunity to earn his way there by putting together another solid season for the Crimson Tide in 2022.

Anderson led all of college football in sacks with 17.5 while also recording 31 total tackles for loss.

Anderson, of course, is the most notable starter returning on the Tide defense, but the linebacker room, in general, is going to wind up being a force to be reckoned with come September.

With Henry To’o To’o’s decision to return to school for another season the Tide had its leading tackler from 2021 back despite the fact that he was projected to be drafted as high as the first round.

To’o To’o led the Crimson Tide in tackles this fall with 112. That included 8.5 tackles for loss, four of which were sacks. He also broke up two passes and forced one fumble in one season with Alabama.

Dallas Turner came into his own after coming in for an injured Drew Sanders early in the 2021 season, and he never relinquished the spot.

Turner saw action in all 15 of the Tide’s games during the 2021 season. In total, Turner recorded 30 tackles, including 10 for a loss with 8.5 sacks. He also had five quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.

Jaylen Moody seemed to be a sure transfer, especially considering the impending return of To’o To’o. However, after reportedly taking a visit to Texas, he ultimately decided that his home would remain in Tuscaloosa just a mere week after announcing his decision to test the transfer waters.

Moody is a key reserve for the Tide’s LB corp. He totaled 11 tackles and snagged an interception while twice receiving accolades from the Alabama coaching staff for outstanding play on special teams.

While losing Christian Harris and Christopher Allen will certainly hurt, Saban and co. recruited some studs to form in and will also rely on returning players to fill the gaps left by their absence.

Jeremiah Alexander and Jihaad Campbell are two fine examples of incoming freshman who will make a difference as linebackers eventually from their EDGE position. Both were rated as consensus five-star prospects and both enrolled early at the Capstone.

A more traditional linebacker prospect in four-star Shawn Murphy also enrolled early at UA and will look to develop his game to make an impact down the line.

All said, Alabama’s linebacker room is looking to be one of the best in the nation. Despite some transfers from Drew Sanders and Shane Lee, the Tide has plenty of weapons to circumvent the departures.

Alabama will look to avenge their loss at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2021 CFP Championship game during the 2022 season. It should prove to be an outstanding campaign for the defending SEC champions.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continued coverage of the Crimson Tide.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Layne Gerbig on Twitter @LayneG_29. 

Several Alabama signees finish as 5-stars in recent On3 rankings update

Nick Saban is showing no signs of slowing down both on the field and on the recruiting trail

Traditional signing day is just a little over a week away and although Nick Saban and Alabama have pretty much wrapped up its class of 2022, player rankings continue to be updated.

On Monday, On3 Sports released its updated On300 rankings and several of Alabama’s signees finished with five-star status.

The Crimson Tide came in at No. 2 in the country in the consensus rankings just behind Texas A&M.

In total, Alabama saw five of its signees finish with a five-star rating. Of those, three were on offense and two were on defense. Here is every five-star signee the Crimson Tide has for the class of 2022.

To top things off, the updated rankings also show that in total, Alabama landed 15 of the top 100 players according to On3. Here are the remaining signees who finished inside of the top 100.

The class of 2022 is absolutely loaded for Saban and the Tide and it should be a lot of fun to watch these prospects develop over the next few seasons.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for more recruiting news and updates on the Alabama Crimson Tide!

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

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